thoughts, musings, and the not-so-random

I was looking for an inexpensive milk frother to make cappuccinos and gifted this one to my niece. It’s a basic model, nothing too cheap, but less expensive than the Nespresso Aeroccino 3 and 4, more reliable than the Starbucks Verismo milk foamer…I use the Arendo in France, which is fantastic, but it isn’t available in the US. It makes just enough foam/hot milk for a single cappuccino, latté or macchiato. read more…

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’”
― Isaac Asimov

In preparation for the Rugby World Cup Grand Finale tomorrow, I found this great logo for Les Bleus version All Blacks :) Don’t miss the France vs New Zealand match tomorrow at Eden Park in Auckland. Allez les bleus !

Coldplay’s haunting classic ‘The Scientist‘ is performed by country music legend Willie Nelson for the soundtrack of the short film entitled, “Back to the Start.” The film, by film-maker Johnny Kelly, depicts the life of a farmer as he slowly turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory before seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a more sustainable future. Both the film and the soundtrack were commissioned by Chipotle to emphasize the importance of developing a sustainable food system. read more…

Given that I will be in France over the next two years of the 2012 presidential election campaigns, I won’t be able to volunteer very much for the local campaigns in either NYC or Los Angeles (that didn’t stop me from bringing in a couple thousand votes in the last election between my personal campaigning […]

Keeping with the design aesthetic of the 2008 campaign but with a little bit of modernization, the new My Barack Obama campaign website has been launched sporting a 2012 BarackObama.com campaign logo. If the President wants Gotham Serif, he gets Gotham Serif (thanks Hoefler & Frere-Jones)…. So, Are You In ?

This image of the Crayola Multicultural Crayons Set has been making its rounds on Facebook and I thought I’d repost it for the 3 of you not on FB. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed the country’s toughest illegal immigration bill into law on April 23, 2010. Among other things, the law makes it a state-level criminal offense (a misdemeanor) to not carry immigration documents or proof of citizenship at all times. Police will have the power to stop people at will and request these documents (passport, drivers license, green card…).

I love Twitter memes. Long after stability comes to Twitter, we will still wax nostalgic over our dear friend, The Fail Whale. I’m feeling inspired towards a Twitter-themed Halloween costume this fall:

Reposted from my Facebook: Thanks for being a fan of my Barack Obama application page and the will.i.am ‘Yes We Can’ video. With only days to go, Barack needs you more than ever before. Every bit of support is another voter we can reach, another person we can get to the polls, and another step […]

From an email by Obama’s Campaign Manager, David Plouffe: Barack Obama is about to make one of the most important decisions of this campaign — choosing a running mate. Want to be the first to know Barack Obama’s choice for VP? The Obama campaign is announcing Barack’s running mate to supporters via email and text messaging. […]

Welcome to Conques, one of the historical “Great Sites of France” and well worth the visit to anyone passing through the region. I find Conques very relaxing and peaceful, due perhaps to the spiritual history of Conques as a pilgrimage site honoring its Saint Foy, literally Saint Faith (think Santa Fe). Saint Faith was a […]